The Pipes are Blowin'
by malanthropy
Summary: The vents are broken, sure. Songfic to "Danny Boy," right at the end of Redemption Pt.2, Jack's POV. A tribute?


**A/N**: Nice little songfic for the end of Redemption Pt.2 (gahds, I just love making fics for the _ends_ of episodes, don't I?), to the tune of Danny Boy. The first line is an obvious spoiler, so I'm putting up a **SPOILER WARNING** for those of you that notice it. There's a second version to the end of this fic, which will be posted as a second chapter (and a Breadbox parody, no less!).  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Stargate. Duh. Oh, and thanks to for having the lyrics.  
Happy reading.

* * *

Well that was it, wasn't it? They'd saved the world from complete annihilation again, and this time, the Russians lost their Stargate. Something for everyone, right?

Not right. SG-1 was still missing someone; Daniel. He was still Ascended, and while they'd saved the world, they still didn't have him there. It was a sad thing to think about, as the three of them waited for the elevator to open its doors, that they were incomplete.

After several awkward moments of silence, the elevator creaked open its uniformly gray doors, with the crude spraying of their current floor on it. As they began to somberly board the metal basket, a wind passed by.

**Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.  
****From glen to glen, and down the mountainside.**

A breeze? In Cheyenne Mountain? Impossible. They looked at each other, staring deeply into the void in the eyes that took in light but never gave it back.

"What was that?" Sam asked, apprehensive all the while knowing that no intruder would be stupid enough to make that much of an obvious mistake. Nevertheless, all three of them took a look around and above them, just in case.

"Perhaps a ventilation malfunction," replied Teal'c, his eyebrows dancing across his face in confusion, his mouth in a full, almost unbelievable downward curve. Even as he gave a reason, he denied it in his mind, as the vents above them could not possibly start a breeze sideways, _across_ them.

Jack smiled, understanding what those eons smarter than him could not.

It was Daniel.

**The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying  
**'**Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.**

He pondered that thought for a moment before boarding the elevator, and then recognized that Daniel still had an incredible sense of humor despite his recent Ascension. He didn't have to choose wind; he could've shown himself to them, Oma had shown him that it was within the realm of possibility. And to even predict that Teal'c would attempt to find a rational solution for it… He had died, but he wasn't gone—he was _there,_ right there with them at that moment.

He wanted to tell Sam and Teal'c, tell them that right there in front of them was one of the best examples of a good person, someone he looked up to and would never be. But he knew he couldn't tell them; it would hurt them. No, he thought. It would hurt _me._

Teal'c and Sam turned around to walk through the elevator doors, but he paused, only turning his foot in the direction of the elevator.

He didn't know what he wanted to do right then. Laugh or cry or mutter under his breath that Daniel was there, just to get it out of his system. But it didn't matter, because his mind was several steps ahead of him; instead of anything he suggested to himself, Jack let a lively little smile smear itself across his face, slowly sliding his body in the direction his foot pointed, with the smile in the other direction; towards the universe, where he knew Daniel could see him. He would've laughed, if he didn't want his living teammates to think him crazy. And realizing crazy was what Daniel did best, he let the smile play itself to death, but still it didn't feel like dying.

**But come ye back when summer's in the meadow**

All the better for it, then. He walked—nay, strolled—into the elevator, whistling "Oh Danny Boy" a bit more audibly than he had meant it in his head.

**Or when the valley's white with snow**

Scarily in unison, Sam and Teal'c rotated their heads to look at Jack's profile.

Jack turned to face them. "What?" he said, skewering his smile into a bastardized mix of joy, his usual "confused" look, and a look of knowing that, deep in his subconscious, he knew they'd react this way. He couldn't keep up the mask for long; he smiled.

It only made them more concerned about his health when he smiled like that.

'**Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow**

"Sir, are you alright?" asked Sam, raising an eyebrow.

"When was anything wrong with me?" he countered. She raised both her eyebrows in a tight face that spoke "touché," crossed her arms, and looked at the door to the elevator.

He held his hands together behind his back, still smiling. The death of Daniel Jackson had not ended his story. He was still out there, doing whatever it is those Ascended people do but never hint at. His death was merely the beginning of a new chapter to his story, the one he'd force the universe to read if he could manage it.

**Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.**

And he had the feeling that story—heck, none of their stories—wasn't about to end anytime soon.

* * *

A/N: This entire story IS like a giant version of the first verse of "Danny Boy." I came up with it after watching Redemption, part two, after Teal'c's "ventilation malfunction" line. Pipes, vents, they provide air, Danny's Daniel, hahahahaha. Just telling you in case you didn't catch my funny little metaphors.

But, really. Take every possible relation to the song seriously if it can be, as I probably did put it in there on purpose. And tell me everything I'm doing wrong/right. I need to know these things. xD


End file.
